Wish You Were Here
Mother
(Pink Floyd)
One of my current faves is Loner, by looks desperately for the “schwa” key ekoostik hookah. It’s got a jam band vibe, but if you’re into that it’s a great feel-good song.
Will probably come up with more once I’m all the way awake. My dad’s a guitarist.
I have never liked Emmanuel - I always thought he was the epitome of technique over passion, all his stuff seems lifeless to me. When I started taking lessons last year my teacher was encouraging me and said, “You are a real musician. You love music and you can tell good music from bad music. Don’t get caught up worrying about guys like Tommy Emmanuel - he is an instrumentalist. He likes to make guitar playing look good but you can’t hum any of it after he is done.”
The best guitarist I have ever heard or seen is Tonino Baliardo the lead guitarist for the Gypsy Kings. Check out any footage you can find. He plays the most impossibly complicated stuff and the whole time looks blissed out, as if it requires no effort. Hell, the rest of the band often watch him play.
I love Kottke, Hedges, Don Ross and Billy McLaughlin, but if you’re looking for someone that you, as a beginner, might actually be able to play, try John Fahey. Try to get the album and the book of tab called The Best of John Fahey 1959 - 1977. There are about a dozen old-time, traditional, blues-flavored solo acoustic tunes in that book and on the album. Many of the tunes are hard-driving, syncopated numbers that really aren’t too difficult to play. Try Spanish Dance, or In Christ There is No East or West. I learned about half a dozen of Fahey’s tunes from this book without too much effort as a beginner/intermediate guitarist.
Take note, however, that Fahey was a weird guy and had wide-ranging interests, especially as he got older. Some of the later stuff is electronic music supplemented by industrial noise. For acoustic, stick to the disc I mentioned above.
To save you looking for Tonino check out this
Lindsay Buckingham has done some pretty amazing stuff on acoustic guitar.
Andy McKee is a personal favorite of mine. Also agree with Ottmar Liebert, Al Di Meola and Leo Kottke. They’re all great.
I know what you mean don’t ask, Tommy’s great fun but I’d rather listen to Joni, long term. But I can still get great enjoyment out of his technical ability and who are any of us to say what’s good and bad music? The humming comment is frankly silly: you can’t hum anything complex, doesn’t mean it isn’t good music.
Leo Kottke - another vote. He’s astonishing. And for Joni, in her early albums.
In addition to John Renbourn, from the same stable there’s Richard Thompson - check out this live performance of Vincent Black Lightning.
And for me Nick Drake is up there - not the most technically accomplished guitarist, but a very innovative picking style, unusual tunings, and a haunting sound.
In the modern era, José González is the only person I’ve ever heard who has stepped into Nick Drake’s shoes.
All the above have some great live stuff on YouTube. Except Nick Drake, he being dead for thirty years. 
Having just seen yet another Richard Thompson solo acoustic show last night, I whole-heartedly concur. That guy is just frickin’ amazing.
Wow, keep 'em coming! This is an awesome syllabus of stuff to listen to to get a feel for what the instrument does in a variety of styles.
You might also enjoy Milwaukeean Willy Porter. Not famous, but highly praised. He posts tabs on his website.
A few more I should have included on my earlier list:
Kelly Joe Phelps
Paul Geremia
Keb Mo
Adding a couple more ideas - someone’s already mentioned Django Reinhardt. Frank Vignola does some great Gypsy playing. Tico, tico FV warming up backstage
You may wish to check out some of the early Dick McDonough/Carl Kress recordings. Or there’s the soundtrack to 'The Sweet and Lowdown". I hated the movie, but the soundtrack features Howard Alden and Bucky Pizzarelli just having way too much fun.
This is a different kind of steel-string guitar, but Bob Brozman is a master of all things resophonic, and he (literally) has re-written the book on the history and style on these instruments. BB song #1 I wish I could shimmy like my sister Kate
Have fun
Give Tim Reynolds a listen to.
He tours with Dave Matthews on a fairly regular basis. There is one track on the 2-Disc Live at Luther College set that is mind boggling.
The track is called “Stream”. You can actually here it at the DMB Discography page.
Every track on that 2 disc set is really good, I highly recommend it.
MtM
I’m far from an expert in guitar, but I’ve always been impressed with Steve Hackett.
No shit. I was at a little bar one night when some no-name band was scheduled to play. As I was standing outside, I started to hear the best fucking guitar playing I had ever heard live. I ran inside to see what was happening. Turns out it was a few of the guys from the Gipsy Kings (including Tonino) playing an impromptu set under an assumed band name. (They had a big show at a gigantic amphitheater the next night). I just stood there and watched in amazement for two hours.
Charo and no, I am not kidding.
You can’t mention Al DiMeola without mentioning Paco De Lucia, who was his partner on the Elegant Gypsy album. I’ve seen them both in concert and they are phenomenal. For premier classical Spanish playing, try The Romeros (turn your sound on), who I’ve also seen. The patriarch of the family was the author of the famous piece Granada, which is a staple for anybody playing Spanish guitar.
I’ll submit, for your evaluation, Roy Harper. Most of his albums have amazing acoustic technique and composition. I had the pleasure of seeing him live also, and he is transcendentally amazing with his playing.
I’d also like to give a nod to country, especially Buck Owens and Willie Nelson.